Hair tapering clippers



July 30, 1963 R. w. ANDERSON HAIR TAPERING CLIPPERS Filed OCE. 21, 1960 FIG.

FIG.4

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FIG.5

5 MR M mm W L I- E s s U R United States Patent 3,099,086 TAPERING CLIPPERS Russell W. Anderson, 1110 W. 68th St, Los Angeles, Calif. Filed Oct. 21, 1960, Ser. No. 64,003 2 (Ilaims. (Cl. 30-212) This invention is a hair tapering clippers, the design of which allows the unskilled individual to cut his own hair. Hair tapering is the result of even gradation from the long hair at the top of the head to the short hair at the neck line, without the presence of chopped or stepped areas. Barbers do this by lifting the hair with a comb and cutting with a shears. Requiring a degree of skill and the use of two hands, this is impractical when the individual attempts to cut his own hair. This clipper is held in one hand leaving the other free to hold a mirror. The clipper is used in a downward combing motion only and no lifting of the hair is required or desired. The hair lying in a normal position at all times. The depth and nature of the cutting action is determined by the clipper itself. The primary object being, a clipper with a built-in, controlled, broken-field cutting action, that leaves to the operators judgment only where on the head to apply this action and for how long.

Another object of the invention is a clipper with a cutting head that can be rotated to any angle in relation to the handle and immobilized there.

A further object is a clipper that can be used in either hand.

Still another object is a clipper that will do a complete hair cut, top, back, sides and neck line.

The various features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, considered with the accompanying drawing.

In this drawing, which is to be regarded as merely illustrative;

FIG. 1 is an enlarged fragmentary section of the cutting head, showing the lower stationary blade and the upper reciprocating blade. Hair is shown in only one space for purposes of clarity.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the clipper, with certain parts broken away and the cutting head lying on the same plane as the handle.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view, with the cutting head turned to a position right angle from the plane of the handle.

FIG. 4 is a transverse section on line 6-6 FIG. 3.

FIG. is an enlarged, transverse section on line 7-7 FIG. 3 and looking in direction of arrow.

Referring to the drawing, the clipper in the main comprises; a tubular handle 8 threaded at its forward end to receive the threaded knurled retaining ring '9. Integral with the handle on its upper side, two adjacent mounting lugs 10 are provided to support bolt 11 upon which the handle '14 pivots. Opening 12 is provided between these mounting lugs to allow entry of the finger 13 which is an extension of lever 14. Appendages 15 and 16 provide firm grip on the handle 8 and lever 14. Operating in a reciprocating manner within the tubular handle 8 is a turned actuating member 17, with a slot 18 to receive finger 13. The forward end 20 is turned in a T-shaped extension and is integral with member 17. The reduced rearward section is a shaft 21 which transmits the action of spring 22 to the actuating member 17. The outer end of shaft 21 is threadably engaged with a nut that retains spring 22 in a common manner. Within the handle 8 and integral with it is .a ring 23 against which spring 22 and actuating member 17 abut at rest.

The two cutting blades 24 and 25 are both formed with a cut out section 19 so as to retain the proper blade length and still reduce the over-all length of the clipper. The

Patented July 30, 1963 lower blade 24 isfdrnred with a circular disc 26 radially from its inner end. Circular disc 26 is the means of revolvin'g and ih'iiiibbiliiihg blade 24 to the handle 8 when knunedna 9 is tightened. Dead center of disc 26 is a rectangular hole 27 through which the extension 28 of upper blade 25 loosely passes. The end of extension 28 is formed into a recessed T, 29 to correlate and engage drumm extension 20 in a manner allowing actuating member '17 to its reciprocating action to upper blade 25, no matter at which angle of rotation the cutting head is set at. I

Cutting blades 24 and 25 are held together and in aligninent by screws 30. Spring washers 31, under the heads of screws 30 force upper blade 25 onto close contact with lower blade 24. Slots 32 in blade 25 allow it to move in reciprocation.

It is now apparent that by moving lever 14 toward handle 8 that finger 13 will press against the forward wall of slot 18 causing actuating member 17 to move cutting blade 25 forward. This has also compressed spring 22. Release of lever 14 allows spring to retract cutting blade 25 and return lever 14 to starting position, thereby completing one cutting cycle.

The metered broken-field cutting action of blades 24 and 25 will now be explained. Referring to FIGURE 1, the teeth '33 on the lower blade 24 are of a very short length, being only about of an inch long. When the clipper is used, the cutting head is turned to approximately right angle to the surface of the hair, and is pressed inward toward the scalp. Since the teeth are so short they do not rest on the scalp but rather the pressure is taken on the surface of the hair, and expressly on the few hairs 37 that have been pressed deepest into the spaces 34 between teeth 33. These few hairs are now in position to be cut by teeth 35 of upper blade 25. The number of hairs that will actually be cut by each tooth is limited by the width of spaces 34 and the amount that the upper teeth 35 overlap the spaces 34. This overlap is only approximately .02 inch. Because the width of teeth 33 is present it will be apparent that all hair lying normally on the surface will not be pressed deep enough into spaces 34 and thereby be cut. Rather the tops of small gatherings of hair will be cut. The teeth 33, in the lower blade 24, are of uniform width. The spaces 34, in the lower 'blade 24, are of uniform width. The spaces 36 of upper blade 25 are of uniform width, but the upper blade teeth 35 are not uniform in width. Also there is a different number of teeth in each blade. Consequently hair 37 is being denied admittance to some of spaces 34 at different stations and at different times along the length of blade 24. If teeth and spaces in both blades were the same then all teeth would cut simultaneously and a small step would probably be cut. To prevent this the upper blade spaces 36 are so varied in spacing that they do not cut simultaneous, nor in succession, but rather the cutting action jumps in 'a random fashion back and forth on the length of the blades. As the clipper is moved progressively downward along with movement of lever 14 a pattern of bnoken field undetectable tiny clippings is made. Because of the small amount of hair that is metered to the cutting area, repeated downward strokes are required. The operation is unhurried and the operator can see how he is progressing at all times as the hair is lying in place thruout the whole procedure.

It is to be noted that the cutting characteristics of the clipper can be selected during manufacture by changing; the width of teeth 33. the width of spaces 34, the amount that upper teeth 35 overlap spaces 34, the ratio between the number of teeth on blades 24 and 25, and the disposition of teeth spaces 36 along the edge of blade 25.

It is to be noted in FIGURE 2 that there are teeth on both edges of the cutting head. In using the clipper the lower blade 24 would be facing the top of the head. If it Were desired to change the clipper from one hand to the other, the knurledring 9 would be loosened, the cut ting head rotated 180 degrees and the knurled ring retightened. The lower blade 24 would again be facing the top of the head and the clipper ready for use in the other hand.

In an alternate embodiment one edge of the cutting head could be manufactured with even shorter teeth 33, so that edge could be used to trim the short hair at the neck line. Further tapering control can be had by rocking back upon heel 38. This lifts the cutting edge slightly.

While I have shown the preferred embodiment of my invention it is to be understood that various changes in size, shape, arrangement of parts and the use of power drive may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim:

1. A hair tapering clipper having a cutter head and a handle assembly, said cutter head comprising a nonreciprocated blade member and a reciprocating blade memher positioned and guided in slidable contact on said nonreciprocated blade member, said nonreciprocated blade member having teeth of equal width and spaces of equal width along its axial aligned edges, said reciprocating blade member having teeth of miscellaneous widths and spaces of equal Width along its axial aligned edges.

2. A hair tapering clipper having a cutter head and a handle assembly, said cutter head comprising a nonreciprocated blade member with teeth along its axial aligned edges and a reciprocating blade member positioned and guided on said nonreciprocated blade member, said non- 35 reciprocated blade member having a circular disc on its handle assembly end perpendicular to the axis of said blades, said reciprocating blade member having an extension passing through and beyond said circular disc and having a T shaped recess in its extreme end; said handle assembly comprising a hollow tubular stationary handle with a pair of lugs pivotally mounting :a moveable handle, a circular actuating member positioned in said stationary handle with a reduced diameter portion passing through an internal flange in the handle and being biased toward said handle end, said actuating member having a recess adjacent the position of said lugs into which recess extends a finger integral with said movable handle to re ciprocate said actuating member, said actuating member having a circular T shaped extension which is received in the T shaped recess of the movable blade extension to reciprocate said movable blade, said stationary handle having a threaded enlarged portion adjacent the cutter head, and a knurled ring nut to clamp the circular disc on the nonreciprocated blade member against enlarged end of the stationary handle member yet permitting axial rotation of the cutter head relative to the handle assembly.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 458,940 Bonham Sept. 1, 1891 560,260 Donnelly May 19, 1896 1,633,063 Bernarducci June 21, 1927 2,260,285 Adams Oct. 28, 1941 2,738,579 Gent Mar. 20, 1956 2,741,026 Guenther Apr. 10, 1956 2,827,695 Vitale Mar. 25, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 255,841 Great Britain Nov. 11, 1926 603,055 France Jan. 6, 1926 

1. A HAIR TAPERING CLIPPER HAVING A CUTTER HEAD AND A HANDLE ASSEMBLY, AND CUTTER HEAD COMPRISING A NONRECIPROCATED BLADE MEMBER AND A RECIPROCATING BLADE MEMBER POSITIONED AND GUIDED IN SLIDABLE CONTACT ON SAID NONRECIPROCATED BLADE MEMBER, SAID NONRECIPROCATED BLADE MEMBER HAVING TEETH OF EQUAL WIDTH AND SPACES OF EQUAL WIDTH ALONG ITS AXIAL ALIGNED EDGES, SAID RECIPROCATING 